In the case of conventional combustion processes using a premixing technique, the lower limit of the nitrogen oxide (NO.sub.x) production is predetermined by the weak extinction limit which is at an a diabetic flame temperature of approximately 1600K. Under gas turbine conditions, NO.sub.x discharges of approximately 7-10 ppm (15% O.sub.2) can typically be reached in this range. The desire to make the mixture even leaner leads to flame extinction. In practice, especially in transient regions, it is, however, necessary to retain a certain distance from the extinction limit, so that flame temperatures of below 1650K cannot be reached for operational reasons. The result of this is that further decrease of the NO.sub.x emissions is therefore prevented.